


Nice To Meet You

by too_addicted_to_fiction



Category: One Piece
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Idiots in Love, LawLu - Freeform, M/M, Romance, Time Loop, Verrrry minor kidlaw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:16:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21601357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/too_addicted_to_fiction/pseuds/too_addicted_to_fiction
Summary: Same thing, every day. Bepo enters, Shachi offers a newspaper, and then Law wakes up. They check out the competition on Saobody, and then Mugiwara no Luffy wreaks havoc. Fight, sleep, repeat.AKA Law's stuck in a time loop, but he's not the only one...
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 53
Kudos: 681





	Nice To Meet You

“Captain!” Bepo burst into the room, followed by Penguin and Shachi, and Law woke up.

Law looked at the clock. 7:28 AM. He had actually fallen asleep, but not until about 4:30. He wanted to groan, to rub his eyes, to tell them to let him sleep for longer… But that’s not how the captain of the Heart Pirates rolled. Instead, he flopped over, eyes cracking open, as he watched his three crewmates catching their breaths. “Yes?” he asked.

“We’ve reached Saobody, Captain,” his navigator told him.

Shachi leaned over Bepo, and the Mink apologized quietly, which everyone ignored. “They wrote about you in the paper today, Captain!” Penguin quickly followed this up by shoving past Bepo, who apologized again, and was ignored, again, and thrusting a paper in Law’s face.

Annoyed, Law slowly reached up to grab the paper, if only to get it out of his face. Shachi continued, “They’re saying you’re part of the Worst Generation. And all the crews are gonna be in Saobody at the same time!”

Law looked at the paper under his nose. His photo there, of course. But eleven other photos as well. Two crews had two pictures: those of Eustass “Captain” Kid and Mugiwara no Luffy. Law studied the two rivals carefully. Kid looked imposing. He had the highest bounty, and his crewmate Killer was obviously no joke either. _Interesting_.

Straw Hat’s bounty was the second highest, but he seemed to have the opposite demeanor of Kid; he was grinning like an idiot, flashing a peace sign, looking exceptionally young to be included in such a group. His crewmate Roronoa seemed more the type to be the captain. Law didn’t give Mugiwara much more thought.

As he glanced through the rest of the photos, he addressed his three crewmates, still waiting in his room. “So we’re docked?”

Bepo pushed by Shachi and Penguin, knowing this was a question for him. “Sorry… Yes. We’re docked. We can go on land whenever.” Law nodded.

Law only brought those three with him as he explored the archipelago. Saobody was a strange place. There appeared to be a thriving tourism business, what with the amusement park, those annoying bubbles and their many transportation uses, and the location. Law scoped out his rival captains, finding most of them converging at some point or another.

He had found Jewelry Bonney chowing down loudly on food, demanding more, as the more refined Capone “Gang” Bege muttered about her ill manners under her breath. He’d seen Hawkins reading cards, lounging around, and had passed Apoo and Drake as well. When he finally saw Kid, he realized the man was going into some kind of auction. Bored and looking for still wanting more reconnaissance on Kid, Law followed, with Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo behind.

The auction was disgusting. It reminded him of his time in the Family. Law wished it didn’t, but he knew this was just part of life. Life was dark and cold and cruel. Most people eked out meaningless existences, and oftentimes they didn’t even know it. Of course, those were the lucky few. The unlucky ones were captured here as slaves, or something equally as haunting. But the worst were those who had had a good life, growing up with a loving family, with dreams of having an honest career spent helping others, only to have it ripped out from under them…

The world was cruel, and people? They were crueler.

Law watched the proceedings, this fact of life being nailed down ever deeper. Kid must have gotten bored at some point, because he had been hovering in the back, but from his peripheral, Law saw him start to leave.

And that’s when the world turned upside down. A huge _CRASH!_ was heard as something big went careening by, causing the crowd to shrink back in fear, and even the auction to pause. Even Law perked up a little.

The something big turned out to be a flying fish, and the culprit? Mugiwara no Luffy.

He seemed to know the Fish-Man who had been shot by that disgusting World Noble. It was a pity. This place was even more of a cesspool of humanity than others. The Celestial Dragons, and the World Government, made it so. But Mugiwara didn’t seem to care. The Fish-Man pleaded with Luffy, but as the Celestial Dragon kept dancing around, gleeful about having caught his quarry and knowing he would soon be the proud owner of a young mermaid, Mugiwara didn’t seem to care.

He marched towards the World Noble, and Law found himself sitting up straighter. Something in the younger man’s eyes… Some inner strength. Some kind of resolve. Something _burning_ … It was mesmerizing. And that wasn’t even anything compared to what happened next.

Mugiwara no Luffy drew back his fist, and with a yell, the entire auditorium watched in horror and amazement as his arm shot forward and slammed into the Celestial Dragon – with a punch that almost seemed to drain the color from the world.

The audience fled. The other World Nobles tried to fight back, but Mugiwara’s crew was there, and they had recovered faster than anyone else as they fought back. A new arrival fell through the ceiling onto another Celestial Dragon, doubling down on their infamy, and Law knew – this crew was more interesting than he had initially thought. He had made a mistake, judging the photos and the bounties of the men in the paper, and he was annoyed at himself for that. How was he supposed to take down Doflamingo with instincts like that?

Lwa tried to tamp down his self-loathing as the fight escalated, and suddenly, a new arrival showed up, knocking out the World Noble who threatened to shoot the mermaid. Law leaned back as he introduced himself as Silvers Rayleigh. How interesting this day was turning out to be!

Shachi leaned forward. “Captain, should we get out of here now?”

Penguin nodded. “These guys are gonna get in trouble.”

As if hearing them, it was then confirmed that Marines were mobilizing, and an admiral would be on the way. Law spoke up then. As he introduced himself, both Kid and Mugiwara appraised him. Kid’s lip curled. Law smirked. Mugiwara barely acknowledged Law. Instead, he seemed ready to fight the Marines. Law stood. He was a captain in his own right. He wasn’t going to let his rival have all the glory.

Apparently Kid agreed. Together, they wound up fighting the Marines, and Law had to say he was impressed. Mugiwara was… strange, to be sure. But he seemed to be a good fighter, albeit slightly nonconventional. Kid was a little more ruthless, but his Devil Fruit ability certainly lent itself to that.

As they took care of the Marines, Law used his powers to free a slave he recognized. “Jean-Bart. Join my crew?” The man agreed, and Law destroyed the collar.

They ran after that. An admiral was going to arrive, and they had to go. Plus, Law had done his reconnaissance. Kid and Mugiwara were the ones to really keep an eye on. But before they could reach the Polar Tang, a Warlord appeared. “Bartholomew Kuma,” Law drawled, watching as Kid tried to fight him. He turned to his rival captain. “We can take him together, Eustass-ya.”

Kid sneered. “I don’t need your help.”

But as a laser shot out, he jumped back, and glanced back at Law. Law laughed. “Sure.”

They fought. It took a while, and they didn’t take the Warlord down, but they managed to at least get away. As Penguin stumbled, Marines on their tail, Law Roomed him back towards them. They managed to get on the Polar Tang, and get away, but the day was gone. It was already evening.

That night, as Law lay in bed, he thought back on the events of the day. Their bounties were sure to increase, if only by association with Mugiwara since he had done something so insane. Law smiled. For once, he was actually tired, and still thinking of the younger rival, he closed his eyes…

“Captain!” Bepo cried out, opening the door, followed by Shachi and Penguin. And Law woke up.

“We’ve reached Saobody, Captain,” Bepo said. Law sat up and looked at the clock. 7:28 AM.

“Why?” Law asked, and Bepo pulled back, bumping into Penguin, and then apologizing for it.

Shachi gave Law a funny look. “Because you wanted to stop by before we head to Fish-Man Island, Captain?” He seemed to remember he was holding a paper. “They wrote about you in the paper today, Captain!” He shoved past Bepo, who apologized, and pushed the paper in Law’s face.

Law glanced at it. Twelve photos of “the Worst Generation.” But… But this… “This is the same paper as yesterday,” Law muttered.

Shachi shared a look with Penguin and Bepo. “Captain, I think you’re very tired. Are you getting enough sleep?”

Law didn’t say anything, but merely looked at the paper. The date was yesterday’s. Did he dream all of that? Were he a different man, he may have talked to his crewmates about it. But Law wasn’t like that.

“So we’re docked?” he asked, and Bepo pushed forward. “Sorry… Yes. We’re docked. We can go on land whenever.” Law nodded.

The day played out exactly the same way, and Law found himself back at the auction, following Kid almost absentmindedly. What was going on? Was this someone’s Devil Fruit at play?

A _CRASH!_ sounded as Mugiwara flew in, and the crowd grew worried. Kid walked back towards the stage, interested to see what would happen, and Law could tell Penguin and Shachi were whispering amongst themselves about it. Didn’t they know what was going to happen?

This time, as the Fish-Man begged Luffy not to do whatever it was he was going to do, Luffy didn’t pause and listen. Instead, he ran up to the Celestial Dragon, and once again socked him so hard that Law almost felt it in his own gut. The World Noble went flying, and chaos reigned.

They went to fight the Marines. It still began with only Law, Kid, and Mugiwara, but this time, Mugiwara was yelling, “What’s going on, you bastards?!” Law didn’t think anything of it. The guy was obviously strong, but seemed to be a bit of, well, an idiot.

Law freed Jean-Bart, and he and his crew ran into Kid and his crew fighting Kuma. They couldn’t beat him, but they once again got away. Back in the sub, Law decided he wasn’t going to go to bed tonight. He would stay up.

He was reading, still thinking about the day’s events, when he glanced at the clock. 11:58 PM. Just two more minutes. Law glanced back at the day’s newspaper, still beside his bed. He picked it up. As he looked at the photos once again, his eyes strayed to Mugiwara and Kid. Law almost felt like he knew them now. At least, he knew how they fought. He knew that Kid loved to fight, and didn’t care about collateral damage. He knew that Mugiwara was more of a mystery. He seemed almost stupid in his recklessness, but he seemed to do it for others out of a strange sense of loyalty. Not very pirate-like.

11:59. Law put the paper down. He watched the clock. This was insane. It would turn midnight, and all would be fine. He obviously had had a strange experience, but it would be fine. It would be –

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

“We’ve reached Saobody, Captain,” Bepo said. Law shot up, glancing at the clock 7:28 AM.

“They wrote about you – “ Shachi began, and Law ripped the paper from him as his eyes fervently scanned for the date. “In the paper today…” Shachi finished lamely.

“What the actual fuck?” Law hissed. The date was the same as yesterday. And the day before that.

Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo shared a look of worry. “Captain?” Penguin started, but Law was up, and pushing past him. He walked out of his room, through the hallways, up the hatch, and onto the deck of the Polar Tang to find they were docked where they had been the last two days.

“What the fuck is going on?!” Law shouted.

Law climbed back down, ignoring the questioning glances of Shachi, the hesitant reaching hand of Penguin, and the “Captain” calls from Bepo. He went back to his room. Nope. He wasn’t doing it today.

Law sat in his room the whole day, combing through any and all books he had on Devil Fruits, time loops, and the like. Nothing useful. The hours passed by, and eventually his crew stopped knocking. Finally, it was evening. Law watched the clock, every muscle tense. 11:59. He waiting, hoping –

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

Law didn’t feel like dealing with this. He went to the archipelago on this day, but he spent it in the public library, researching. He stayed there until it was almost midnight. There was nothing helpful. Nothing. He turned to Bepo, who had faithfully come with him.

“Bepo,” Law started, and the Mink looked at him. “What would you do if you were living the same day over and over again?”

Bepo looked confused. “Sorry, Captain?”

Law was patient with one person and one person only: Bepo. The bear was his best friend, and Law had a special soft spot for him. But now, he was just tired. “If you literally woke up and it was the same day over and over.”

Bepo’s head tilted to the side, thinking. “Is it a good day that’s on repeat? Because if so, maybe I would be okay with it.”

Law couldn’t help the small smile on his face. Bepo was a good guy. Simple, but good. “It’s just a normal day. Not good, and not bad.”

“Oh,” Bepo thought. “Well, I guess I would wonder why. What it was I needed to learn from the day.”

Huh. Law hadn’t thought of it like that. Perhaps there was some kind of information he needed to obtain? He was about to tell Bepo about what was going on, when suddenly –

“Captain!” Bepo yelled out, and Law woke up.

Law went through the motions. He read the newspaper. He went with his crewmates to Saobody. They watched the other captains. They went to the auction house. Law didn’t feel like going through this again. He approached Kid.

“Eustass-ya,” he drawled.

The other captain gave him a distinctly unimpressed look. “What the fuck do you want?”

Law smirked.

He ended up fucking Eustass Kid in the back of the auction house. There was no foreplay, and no emotions, but it was fun. There was no kissing. Law got onto his knees, taking Kid’s length in his mouth, and then _sucking_ , and Kid put his hand on the back of his Law’s head, keeping him pinned there.

“ _Fuck_ yeah, Trafalgar. You’re good…” he ground out.

Law let him go after he finished, stood, and spun Kid around, slamming him into the wall. Kid growled until Law stuck his fingers into Kid’s mouth. “Suck.” Kid did.

Law fucked him into the wall, and both men held back their noise. Law reached around, jerking Kid off again until he came, tightening, and then Law released as well. Afterwards, both of them quickly dressed, barely exchanged a glance, as both went to find their own crewmates.

As they walked out, Mugiwara had already started a brawl, and the Marines were coming. They joined him in fighting the Marines.

The day played out as per usual. Law went to bed early, glad that at least he’d given the rival captain a try.

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

Law listened as Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo spoke to him. He took the newspaper and didn’t even glance at it. He went out on the archipelago. He went to the auction. Kid walked by him with nary a glance, of course not remembering their tryst from the loop before.

And then something strange happened. There was no mermaid. Mugiwara never showed up. The auction went off without a hitch. No Marines attacked them. Kid left early, bored. And Law watched the whole thing play out.

Law stormed out, his crewmates barely keeping up. He walked around the archipelago, looking for his quarry, until he finally ran into…

Mugiwara, laughing on one of those stupid bubble bikes. The mermaid was with him, and so was the Fish-Man, both in disguise, and a few other members of his crew. Law walked up, and grabbed the young captain.

“Why weren’t you at the auction? What did you do?” He shook the other man a little bit. “How did you break the loop?!”

Mugiwara’s crewmates were in fighting stances, yelling out at Law to stop assaulting their captain, and even Law’s crewmates seemed a little wary, unsure what was going on with their normally calm and collected captain.

But Mugiwara no Luffy. He only smiled. “I just stayed with her this time. So no one could take my friend away.” Law released Luffy, confused.

“But… how…?” Before Law could continue, people around them began to murmur, and Law’s eyes were pulled over to where the Celestial Dragons from the auction were now returning home.

Unfortunately, the same bastard was whipping Jean-Bart, and when he spotted the small raccoon-dog on Luffy’s crew, he called out that “he must have that,” and lackeys approached the raccoon-dog with shackles. The Fish-Man and Mermaid tensed up, and the little raccoon-dog began yelling, and Luffy growled.

“You can’t have him! You can’t have _anyone_ , ever again!” And with that, Luffy attacked the man, punching him. Law stepped back, completely surprised by the aggression with which the younger captain attacked the World Noble.

_But if he’s been in this loop before… he’s seen this happen many times… to his friends…_ Of course Mugiwara was angry. He’d had to witness this Celestial Dick try to own his friends, over, and over, and over.

Law joined him. He knew how Mugiwara fought by now, and he Roomed away as Luffy ballooned, and bullets ricocheted back towards their assailants. Law was pleasantly surprised when Luffy pulled his crewmates back from Law’s Room, and when he yelled “Shambles,” and body parts were flying everywhere, Mugiwara shot Law a grin. Seems like he knew how Law fought as well, which confirmed it.

“You’re living out this day over and over too, Mugiwara-ya,” Law stated, replacing one bodyguard’s severed head with a grenade as more Marine reinforcements arrived.

“Gomu-gomu… Jet Stamp!” Luffy yelled, lashing out at various enemies, before he looked at Law. _Fascinating_ , Law thought, watching the rubbery limbs stretch and snap back to and fro. Who would have thought that rubber would be a useful power. But with enough imagination…

Luffy stared at Law. “How do you know that…” He trailed off. Well, this was awkward. He had seen Law how many times now, and yet didn’t know his name? Law scowled.

“Trafalgar Law,” Law stated, slashing Kikoku.

“Tor... Tra… Trof… Torao,” the younger captain settled on.

“What? No. It’s Trafalgar.”

“Torao.” Mugiwara nodded, like it was settled. A vein throbbed in Law’s forehead, and he could feel a headache coming on. How irksome.

“Listen, Mugiwara. Is it just you, or do you know anyone else who –“ before Law could finish, a flash of light cut through the area, and Law looked up, expecting Kuma.

“Not this guy again!” Mugiwara shouted, and Law was surprised to see Admiral Kizaru appear on the scene. Fuck. He hadn’t fought an admiral yet.

Another two beams of light shot out from different directions, in quick succession. Law looked. There were… two of Kuma?! Shit. And now that Law thought about it. His beams did seem very similar to the ones the Admiral was shooting. “What the hell is going on?!” Law yelled, saving Penguin from a nasty attack to the left by a Marine with a Devil Fruit.

Before anyone answering, Kizaru was suddenly right in front of him. “Tra-fal-gar Lawww,” the man drawled, pursing his lips. “This is the end for you, rookie.”

As he readied to attack, Law felt something _grab_ him, and suddenly he was shooting backwards, and he slammed into a body. “Watch out, Torao!” Luffy said, grinning at him, all teeth and crinkled eyes.

And as he said that, suddenly a beam of light shot _straight through that rubbery stomach_. Luffy choked, blood gushing out his mouth, as Kizaru solidified behind him in a ball of light. “Ohhh,” the Admiral drawled. “Too bad. Rest in peace, Mugiwara no Luffy.”

And Luffy looked up at Law, smiling.

And then Kizaru slammed into him again, and the young captain was dead. Law _screamed_ , furious. He attacked chaotically, slashing, not really thinking. That… that _idiot_ … had jumped in front of him! And was dead now! He didn’t need to die for Law.

Law’s crewmates yelled something to him, but he ignored them. He was so angry. Would Luffy still wake up tomorrow now that he had been killed? Law wasn’t sure what the rules were here.

But as he suddenly found himself surrounded by both Kumas and the Admiral, and all the beams around him were suddenly targeted, Law sheathed his sword and dropped his Room. Maybe it was time to find out.

“Captain!” he heard three voices he loved shout, and then the beams hit…

“Captain!” a different, cheerier tenor repeated, and then Bepo burst into the room, followed by Shachi and Penguin, and Law woke up, breathing hard.

As his crewmates began to state that they’d docked, and that look, he was in the paper, he grabbed at the item, checked the date. It was the same day. Law let out a small sigh. What did this mean?

Apparently he couldn’t die. Which meant… _Mugiwara is probably still alive in this day too_.

Law threw the covers off, rushing out past his astonished crewmates, not even waiting for them as he Roomed off the ship and onto the Archipelago.

It wasn’t hard to find Mugiwara. He was loud, and Law knew what his companions looked like. When he did find them, they were at the Amusement Park. Luffy saw him right away, and bounced over, much to the surprise of his companions. “Torao!”

Law grabbed Luffy and steered him behind a food kiosk, which made the younger man drool when he sniffed the air. Law shook him a little to get his attention. “Mugiwara-ya,” he ground out. “Why did you save me?”

Luffy tilted his head, confused. “Mwahh, what do you mean, Torao?”

“When you grabbed me earlier. You gained the Admiral’s ire, and he killed you. Did you know you would wake up again today?”

Luffy smiled. “Shishishi, I didn’t know! But I’m not actually dead, Torao. I gotta become Pirate King first! I’m not gonna be beaten ‘til then.”

This idiot… Law took another large inhale. “But you didn’t know that would happen, right?” Luffy nodded. “Then why did you save me?”

“I didn’t want you to die, Torao. We’re friends now.”

“No. We’re not,” Law stated. “You can’t just decide that.”

“Too late!” Law resisted the urge to shake the younger captain once more, but before he could, Luffy spoke up again. “Plus, even if we were going to wake up again, I didn’t want you to feel that pain.”

Law paused. “Why’s that, Mugiwara-ya?”

“Because I like you, silly! And I don’t want you to feel pain.”

Law took a step back. This man was… confusing, to say the least. “Okay. I don’t understand, but whatever. Do you know if there’s anyone else here who’s been repeating the same day?”

Luffy shook his head. “No. I tried to talk to all my friends about it. They all believed me, but we did… re-churching? Yeah, that, one day, to figure it out.”

Law paused. “Research?” Luffy nodded. “Which day was it?”

“Hmmm,” Luffy put his finger up under his chin to think. “I think it was the third or fourth day? I was starting to get annoyed.”

Law nodded. He had spent those days researching as well, so he wouldn’t have known if Mugiwara and his crew were doing their normal things or not. “And you didn’t find anything useful?”

Luffy shook his head. “Nothing! And my crew is so smart! Chopper didn’t know, and even Robin didn’t know. And both of them _really_ like reading.”

“And… they really believed you?”

“Of course,” Luffy stated. “Why wouldn’t they?”

Law shrugged. “Most people might think you’re insane.”

Luffy laughed. “Shishishi, maybe, but most people aren’t my nakama, I suppose. They will always believe me, and help me.”

Law started at him for a while. Must be nice. He supposed his crew might listen, too. He hadn’t even really thought to tell them. He loved his crew, of course, but this was a certifiable situation.

Whatever. “All right, Mugiwara. Let’s figure out a way out of this.”

Luffy smiled. “Okay!”

They tried everything. That day, and the several following (same) days, Law met Luffy’s crew as, each time, he explained what was going on. And each time, they accepted Luffy’s word without a second thought. He looked at their books. They looked at his. Law found out that Chopper was the ship’s doctor, and he wasn’t actually a raccoon-dog. He was a reindeer. He found out Robin was a little bit like him, coming from a broken childhood, but eventually it made her stronger, albeit somewhat reserved and cautious. He met Zoro, who knew that Kikoku was cursed right away. He wound up owing Nami more berries than he’d ever owned, and he had no idea why. He ate Sanji’s delicious food, and he admired Franky’s handiwork on the ship. He listened to Usopp’s stories and Brook’s music while he studied.

“Neh, Torao? Why don’t we ever meet your crew?” Luffy asked, at least eight days into the re-introductions.

Law blinked. “Do you want to?”

Luffy nodded vigorously. “Of course! I want to meet your nakama!”

The next time, Law brought them. They melded together rather perfectly, even though his crew didn’t really understand what was going on. “Why don’t you tell them?” Luffy asked. So Law did.

And surprisingly, they believed him. “You really don’t think I’m making this up? Or didn’t get enough sleep?” Law asked, feeling somewhat insecure.

Penguin smiled. “Course not, Captain. We trust you.” Bepo and Shachi nodded behind him, and Law felt his throat constrict somewhat. He quashed the feeling. It was a weakness, and he would not let it overcome him. Whatever. The more people researching, the better.

But they turned up nothing. And each day, none of the crewmates would remember anything from the day before. Chopper didn’t remember they had already bonded over curing strange diseases. Robin wasn’t open like she had been after she’d shared her trauma. Zoro repeated himself about the swords, and Nami didn’t remember she’d already haggled with Law for all he was worth. Franky showed Law the same parts of the ship, and Sanji’s food tasted like ash in Law’s mouth when he started to despair they would never get out of this. Even Usopp’s absurd stories and Brook’s beautiful music couldn’t help.

They had exhausted all of their resources. They had read every book on this island, or that the two crews could find. They had made calls to anyone who could possibly help. And nothing. Nothing at all had helped. They were stuck in this loop forever. How long would it go on?

One day, Law was sitting on the deck, and he pulled out his heart. Everyone watched. And then he stabbed it. People screamed, shouted. And everything went black.

“Captain!” Bepo shouted, and then Law woke up. 7:28 AM.

Law got dressed, barely glanced at the newspaper, didn’t listen as his crew chattered behind him. As soon as he went up on the deck of the Polar Tang, something suddenly latched onto him, and Law found himself flung backwards as a rubbery projectile came at him, full speed, knocking him back.

This wasn’t unusual. Over their time together, Law had discovered that Luffy was rather clingy – with everyone. He was constantly hanging all over his crew. And unfortunately, he had decided that Law was “a good guy,” and therefore he was also good to latch onto. Law was irritated he apparently didn’t have any say in the matter, but Luffy wasn’t going to listen regardless, so he may as well just ignore him.

Which is what Law planned to do here. Until Luffy reeled back, and then socked him. _Hard_.

Law flew across the deck and slammed into a steam vent. Law sat up, cursing, spitting out a bit of blood, and he glared at the younger man. “What the fuck was that for?!”

But Luffy didn’t want to talk. He obviously wanted to fight. Law’s crew appeared at the hatch. “That’s… that’s Mugiwara no Luffy!” Shachi shouted. Right. They hadn’t met him yet.

Law Roomed them onto land, and then Luffy was rushing him, reaching out with those long limbs. “Gomu gomu pistol!” Law swapped himself out with a bike behind Luffy, and Luffy punched it so hard the bubble popped and the frame was sent flying, as Law swiped out with his sword.

Luffy twisted inhumanly, and came back at Law. The fight went on, for hours. At one point, Bepo called out. “Captain! Captain, want us to help you?”

Law glanced at them, and he realized his lips had drawn up at the ends. _He was grinning_. This was… fun. “No!” he shouted back, and his crewmates nodded, as if they had expected this.

From across the clearing, Luffy smiled, and wiped his mouth. “I’m gonna kick your ass, Torao.”

Law huffed. “Not part of the plan, Mugiwara-ya.”

Finally, exhausted, the day was starting to fade into night. Had they really spent the entire day fighting? Law breathed hard. He didn’t want it to end, but… “Should we take a break, Mugiwara?”

Surprisingly, Luffy nodded, and then flung himself over and laid on the grass next to Law. After a moment, Law sat down too, resting against his sword. Both just breathed for a minute. Finally, Luffy turned to Law. “Don’t do that again, Torao.”

“You’re the one that attacked me.”

“No. Kill yourself.”

Law paused. “Why? We would just wake up here again.”

“Who cares?!” Luffy sat up, a determined look on his face. “I didn’t like it. It… scared me.”

“Because I ripped my heart out?” Law said. “That’s just part of my ability.”

Luffy shook his head. “No. Just… don’t hurt yourself, okay?”

Law didn’t understand, but he found himself nodding, if only to appease the younger captain.

Soon after, Luffy left, and Law was left to eat with his crew, who exclaimed over the fight they had watched. “You were so cool, Captain!” Penguin raved, and Bepo nuzzled Law. Law gave a small smile. He went to bed early that night. He was tired.

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

After their fight, Law and Luffy would find each other early in the morning, and they would explore the island. This was, of course, Luffy’s idea, but he wanted to see it with Law. One of the first days, he forced Law to go to the amusement park.

Law hated things like this. A crowd full of naïve people. Parents with their children. Ice cream… _Lami_ …

He turned away from the sights. It was noisy. It was dirty. It smelled weird. And yet, Luffy loved it. He dragged Law from ride to ride, shrieking through most of them. And Law had to admit, some of them were pretty fun. At one point, during a roller coaster, Luffy had yelled out, and had grabbed Law’s hand, and Law had just let it be, taken by the moment. As soon as the ride rolled to a stop, he had snatched his hand back, of course, but Luffy had smiled up at him anyway.

That night, they were on the ferris wheel as the clock ticked ever closer to midnight. The ride came to a stop as they neared the top, and they looked out over the archipelago. “Wow,” Luffy breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

Law stared at the younger captain. In the darkness, he was the brightest thing, face lit up by the lights below, eyes shining, smile gleaming. And something… _something_ … gripped at Law’s heart, clawing its way into his throat. “Yeah,” he agreed.

Luffy turned to face him. His mouth closed, but his eyes still smiled. “Like you, Torao.”

Law swallowed. “W-what?” Had he just stuttered?! Fuck no. Trafalgar Law didn’t stutter.

And yet… with Luffy looking at him like that… “You’re beautiful, Torao. Your cool tattoos. Your badass fighting moves. Your deep voice. The way your eyebrows scrunch together. When you do that thing with your mouth where you’re trying not to smile, but you can’t help it. And your eyes.” Luffy looked at his eyes, moving closer to look into Law’s wide eyes. “Your eyes are beautiful, Torao. But why are they so sad?”

Law couldn’t say what possessed him. Maybe it was to shut Luffy up. Maybe it was because he was just _tired_ of living this same day over and over, and for the first time, here was something new. But he grabbed Luffy, and slammed his lips down on the other’s.

Luffy didn’t move, his back straightening like a ramrod had been attached there, but as Law was about to pull back, feeling very much stupid, considering this was the _only_ person who would actually remember this fuck-up tomorrow, Luffy melted. And suddenly, he was kissing back with everything he had.

In fact, he pushed Law back, and was suddenly straddling his lap, as he kissed, all tongue and teeth. Law laughed, and pulled back, stopping Luffy from following. “Calm down, Mugiwara-ya,” he drawled, trying to tamp down his smile.

“What was that?” Luffy asked, still trying to plant his lips on Law’s.

“A kiss?”

Luffy nodded. “Yeah, but… But how it felt. It was different.”

Law smiled. “Have you kissed anyone before?”

Luffy tilted his head, thinking. “By accident. But I have never wanted to before.”

“And now? Do you want to now?”

Luffy nodded solemnly. “Only you, Torao.” And that was good enough for Law. They made out until the day ended, and then…

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

After that, they went back to the amusement park another one or two times, though instead of going on all the rides, they mostly ended up pushing each other behind food kiosks to make out. Luffy had taken it up with all the gusto of an addict. Law taught him how to kiss better, subtler, and he had to admit – it was good. It was… fun. And it made the days pass by a little quicker.

One day, they decided to free all the slaves. Luffy knew some guy name Duval, and through him, they located each of the auction houses. They went from one to another, fighting off guards, until finally, the Marines arrived.

But Law and Luffy had gotten stronger, and smarter too, with each passing fight. They took out the troops fairly easily, and managed to get away. Luffy pulled Law behind a tree, kissing him hard. Law smiled, and then, breathless, pulled back, but Luffy merely dived forward, intent on leaving hickeys along Law’s neck that they both know wouldn’t be there come morning.

“Mugiwara-ya,” Law said, breathless from kissing. Luffy pulled back, again smiling. “We’ve gotten more skilled at fighting.”

Luffy nodded. “Yes. Practice is good.”

“How about we practice against some tougher opponents and really up the stakes, hm?”

And Luffy grinned.

The next loop, they attacked all the Celestial Dragons they could find, and soon enough, Kizaru and the Kumas showed up to fight. Luffy and Law both died.

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

They tried again. And again. And to be fair, they began to get better, and stronger. They would never grow in speed or muscle, but the muscle memory was there, and they learned how their enemies worked. They began working together as team, and in one moment, Law knew he was about to die, when Luffy jumped in front of him again, and perished instead. Law didn’t wait, and instead he slit his own throat.

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

When Law found Luffy that day, he confronted him. “Why did you jump in front of me?” _Again_ , Law thought, reminded of when they had first realized they were both living in the loop.

“I care about you,” Luffy said. “I didn’t want you to hurt.”

Law would never understand this. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” Luffy was confused, Law knew, but he was also confused. He didn’t know how he was feeling. It was too much.

“Stop caring! Trying to protect me! I don’t want you to…” _I don’t want you to love me_.

Luffy paused, and waited for Law to calm down, like waiting for a snail to come out of his shell. “Torao. You’re being stupid.” Law gave a humorless laugh, and Luffy went on. “I already care. But it’s not a bad thing.”

Law turned his head away. “I don’t want you to die for me. This is why I don’t want to… No, I _can’t_ get close to anyone.”

Luffy just sat beside Law, quiet for only a moment. “You know, when I was younger, I had two brothers, but one of them died.” Law listened. He hadn’t known that. “I couldn’t protect him. Some… some bad people took him away from us. And when he tried to escape, he… He was killed. And I decided that I needed to be stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone I cared about. And that makes me stronger, Torao. People to fight for.”

Law listened. Luffy was an idiot, but sometimes… Sometimes he said some very profound things. He was a good person. And Law? Law wasn’t.

Luffy could see Law over-thinking. “You can’t stop me from caring about you, Torao. But that’s what makes me stronger. And I know you care too.”

Law looked at him. Luffy’s eyes were too bright, his smile too hopeful. And Law Roomed away.

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

Law avoided Luffy the next day. He just wanted some time… to think.

The following loop, Law searched for Luffy, and found him, staring off at the ocean near a cliff on the archipelago. “Sorry,” Law muttered, and Luffy nodded.

“I knew you would come find me. When you were ready,” Luffy said.

“I… I had someone. I cared a lot about him, and he… he said he loved me. Right before he was killed.” Luffy listened as Law told him all about Flevance, and Cora-san, and Doflamingo, and for the first time, Law opened up.

Suddenly, he felt something on his cheek, and he realized it was Luffy’s hand, wiping away tears Law hadn’t even realized were falling. “It’s okay, Torao,” Luffy whispered. “He loved you. And he saved you. And he would have wanted you to live your life with others who love you too.”

And Law smiled, finding solace in Luffy’s embrace. Maybe that’s true. Maybe Cora-san wanted to give him a second chance. Maybe.

The rest of the day, Luffy and Law sat there, under the sunset, as dusk blew by, and it was nearly midnight as they softly kissed in the light of the moon.

“Captain!” Law rolled over as his crewmates entered. He didn’t look at the clock.

Law and Luffy hadn’t settled on a meeting place, and that meant they usually met up around the amusement park. It was Luffy’s favorite place, other than his ship, of course. Law arrived, and looked around. No Mugiwara yet. He would know – chaos would be reigning.

So Law decided to wait. And, as he glanced over at one kiosk, he realized – it had been a while since he drank. When they’d been doing research on the Sunny, Zoro often drank, and always politely offered some to Law. But Law had been on a mission, trying to figure out a way out of the loop, so he never partook.

But, here and now, maybe he would.

And that’s how Luffy found Law a few hours later – still drinking, and relatively sloshed. “Torao?”

Law turned to Luffy, spinning about on the stool he was sitting on, letting a bigger-than-usual grin sprout over his features. “Mugiwara! Where have you been?”

Luffy laughed. “You sound funny, Torao. And your face is all red.”

Law put his arms around Luffy’s shoulders, and then dragged him closer, thrusting his drink in Luffy’s face. “And whose fault is that? You sure took your time, hmm? Left me to drink all alone. Here, try some of this.”

Luffy giggled again at Law’s pushiness, but he did take a sip, and then made a face. “I don’t really like alcohol.”

Didn’t really like alcohol? Law leveled him with a look. “C’mon, Mugiwara. Have some fun. For me?”

At this, Luffy looked torn. He seemed like he wanted to try, for Law, but also he didn’t really drink. Law gave his best pouting face…

And Luffy busted out laughing. “Fine, Torao. For you.”

A few hours later, they stumbled back to the Polar Tang, both plastered, much to the amazement of the other Heart Pirates. “Umm, Captain?” Shachi asked, and Law _winked_. He winked! Shachi and Penguin stood with their mouths hanging open like a flying fish, while Bepo merely gave a shy smile to Luffy as they passed by.

In his room, Law threw Luffy on the bed, kissing him hard. Luffy gasped as his back hit the cushion, and suddenly Law was everywhere on top of him. His fingers danced along the opening of that blue vest, pushing it off Luffy’s shoulders, putting a mouth to that shoulder. Luffy moaned. “Torao… I-I feel…”

Law looked up from his attack on the younger’s shoulder, smirking. “Yes?”

“I want…” Luffy started, and Law’s fingers dipped into his shorts, feeling along the trail of hair growing there, until he grasped Luffy firmly. Luffy gasped at the feeling, and Law began stroking fully, smiling softly as the rubbery captain came undone.

As Law was about to reach around to start prepping, Luffy _hmm_ ed happily. The sight made Law stop and smile. Cheeks rosy, neck flushed, abs heaving. Luffy opened his eyes, still weak after finishing, and the two gazed at one another. “That was amazing, Torao.”

And then suddenly, Luffy’s neck was stretching inhumanly and he was hurling into a trashcan beside Law’s bed. Law sat up, suddenly realizing just how drunk the other was. _And he’d almost_ … Law rubbed Luffy’s back, self-loathing, realizing he’d almost taken advantage of the younger man’s inebriation. And Law felt ashamed.

That night, Law laid there, Luffy snoring next to him, as the clock struck 11:59…

“Captain!” And Law woke up. 7:28 AM.

Law couldn’t tell if Luffy remembered what had happened the night before. Of course he wasn’t hungover. It was a new loop cycle, after all. But did Luffy know what had almost transpired? Did he care? Would he hate Law for taking advantage of him?

He didn’t seem to. Today, they had decided on freeing the slaves again for some fighting practice, and as they were fighting, Law kept glancing over at Luffy.

Luffy noticed it right away, of course. He started glancing back: coy, quick looks shot over a shoulder, or after a punch. It became a coquettish game soon enough, and nearly the whole day was spent this way until finally they wound up involving a World Noble, and Kizaru and the Kumas showed up. The game continued right up until Law was run through with a beam of light.

“Captain!” And Law woke up.

The following day, Law and Luffy dined and dashed at all the most famous restaurants on the island. As they ate, Law couldn’t help but wonder if this is how couples felt on dates.

That thought thread is what made him remember what had happened two loops before. “I’m sorry,” Law said suddenly, and Luffy gave him a confused look, prompting him to clarify. “I’m sorry I almost took advantage of you the other night. When you were drunk.”

Luffy grinned. “Shishishi, don’t worry, Torao! I wanted to do that as much as you did. I just had a tummy ache after everything.”

Law just stared at him. “I don’t deserve you, Mugiwara. I’m... I’m a monster.”

Luffy took this very seriously. “Torao. Law. Don’t say that. I like you. I like the things you say, the things you do. And you deserve good things. Because you’re a good person. And if you’re a monster, then...” Luffy leaned forward, intense, and Law hardly dared to breathe. “You’re my monster. _Mine_. I wish you could see you the way I do.”

Law wished that too.

“Captain!” Bepo called out, and Law woke up. He felt well-rested, though he knew it was probably all in his head. But Law felt… _happy_.

They did other things. They biked around. They stole marine den-den-moshis and made prank calls to Garp and Sengoku. At one point, Law called Doflamingo and told him exactly what he thought of him (the words more colorful than he’d even known he could dream up).

That evening, knowing Doflamingo was trying his damnedest to plan some murderous retaliation, but that the clock of this loop would run out just after he’d gone crazy with sudden preparations, Law sat on the Sunny’s figurehead with Luffy, telling him about his plans for Dressrosa and the Warlord. And Luffy listened, and didn’t judge.

“Bring me with you, Torao,” Luffy said, and knowing they would never actually see that day, most likely doomed to go crazy repeating this loop forever, Law agreed. Sure. Why the hell not.

Luffy smiled, and got up, pulling Law with him as they walked along the deck, and inside found the unused Captain’s Corridors. Random boxes sat in the room, as it was mainly a storage for Nami’s maps and Usopp’s inventions, but they were pushed aside as Luffy lay on the bed, tugging Law down with him.

Laying in the bed, facing one another, Luffy leaned over and started kissing Law. It quickly grew from something soft and sweet into something hot and wanting. Luffy scrambled up to straddle Law, suddenly grinding down, and Law broke away, groaning. Luffy looked down, as if remembering the time they had messed around before, his face showing surprise as he rolled his hips once again.

“Feels good, Torao,” he said, and Law grinned, flipping them around.

That night, Trafalgar Law fucked Mugiwara no Luffy for the first time. Although, Law thought, maybe that wasn’t the right choice of words. It was so soft, he thought, as he slowly stretched Luffy open, toying with him, fingers dancing around _that_ _spot_ , until he was gasping and calling out for Law. So soft as Law slid in, feeling safe and happy and wanted. So soft as they kissed almost languidly, moving together, muscles straining, eyes connected. Soft as they finished together, and laid there, breathing in tandem, smiling.

No, Law thought. That’s not fucking. That’s… _making love_ , Law realized. Quiet surprise held him. Trafalgar Law was in love with Mugiwara no Luffy. And he suddenly wanted to scream it with his being, to let the object of his affections know.

“Luffy,” Law said, and Luffy marveled.

“You said my name.”

The affection made Law chuckle. “Luffy, I have to tell you something. I –“

“Captain!” Bepo called out, followed into the room by Penguin and Shachi. Law woke up. 7:28 AM.

His declaration had been timed out. _Of course it had_ , Law thought wryly. He would never catch a break. He smiled to himself, thinking of the loop before, of _Luffy_ , as Shachi excitedly shoved the newspaper at him.

Law read the paper. Every ten loop cycles or so, Luffy and Law would go about their days as it had in the original timeline. Law would walk around the archipelago with Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo, scoping out the competition.

He would make the same wry comments, eye the same Eustass “Captain” Kid as he swaggered into the auction house, and sit in the same seats. Luffy would ride in on that flying fish, making a real spectacle of himself (of course), and then would punch the living daylights out of that jackass Celestial Dragon.

They would fight the Marines, Law would save Jean-Bart and then their crews would separate. Those days were kind of the worst for both of them, because Law felt that they should reenact the original timeline every so often just in case, since he hadn’t completely given up on finding a way out of the loop, and Luffy and he would barely interact.

Before Luffy punched the Celestial Dragon, his eyes would find Law’s, and he would share a secret smile. But otherwise, they followed the original events faithfully.

As Luffy was about to run off with his crew to face Kizaru and one of the Kumas, Law grabbed his hand. “Torao?” Luffy asked, confused.

But Law didn’t want to wait any longer. Yes, he was the one who insisted they stick to the original events to a tee, but he couldn’t help himself as he pulled Luffy in for a quick but heartfelt kiss. Behind them, both crews yelled out, “ _Ehhh?!_ ” And Law smiled.

“Luffy,” Law said, voice low, eyes searching. “I… I love you.”

Luffy smiled, a smile so radiant that it would put the sun itself to shame. “I love you too, Torao. And I always will, through every today, and beyond.” He chuckled, like it was their little secret. Well, Law supposed it was.

With that, Law let him go, watching as he ran off with his crew, and Law followed his to where he knew Kid was fighting another Kuma. “Captain?” Bepo started, and Law smiled.

“Later, Bepo. I promise.”

They fought Kuma, and managed to get away. Law’s crewmates watched him move, clearly astounded by how well Law could handle the man. Well, he should be able to handle him now, Law thought, with how many times they’d fought him at this point.

That night, on their sub, Law had a drink with his crew. Everyone was in high spirits, and still talking about the events from the day, which had been the first they’d seen, unlike Law. “I can’t believe that guy _decked_ a Celestial Dragon!” Penguin screamed, and the rest of the crew cackled as he and Shachi reenacted it. Law found himself chuckling along.

And then suddenly, he was laughing, so hard, remember the first time he’d seen Luffy punch the man, hitting so hard it seemed the world’s color had faded. When his laughter subsided, he looked around. His entire crew was grinning at him. “What?” he asked.

“Captain,” Shachi said, grinning. “We never hear you laugh like that.”

Law smiled, hiding it behind a gulp of alcohol before he answered. “Well, I guess I just realized how much I like you guys.”

“Captain!” Bepo cried, launching himself at Law, and the others followed in a dog pile. Even buried beneath them, Law couldn’t find it in himself to stop smiling.

Law got in bed by 11 PM, turning over in his bed, thinking about Mugiwara no Luffy, and what they would do tomorrow.

Law rolled over, and blinked his eyes open. It was… 7:37 AM. Law scrubbed a hand over his eyes, and checked again. 7:38 AM now. “What the fuck?” he murmured.

The time was wrong. There was no Bepo yelling for him. No Shachi shoving a paper in his face.

Law got up, grabbed his sweatshirt, and exited the room. In the galley, only a few of his crew were up and running, and those who were present looked pretty hungover.

“Captain,” Bepo called out, but he too looked a little rough.

“Bepo,” Law said slowly in greeting.

Shachi looked up. “Oh, Captain. You’re in the paper.”

Law walked over to grab the paper, curious as to why this morning was playing out slightly differently. And then he looked at the newspaper.

He was in the paper, but the article was about Mugiwara no Luffy, and how he’d assaulted a Celestial Dragon. He and Kid were merely background players, and the close-up photo was of Luffy’s grinning face, flashing a peace sign. Law looked at the date.

“It’s… it’s tomorrow!” Law shouted, unable to believe his eyes. He grabbed Bepo. “Bepo, what happened yesterday?”

Bepo shared a worried glance with Penguin and Shachi, but then he began speaking slowly. “We woke up and explored the place, Captain, looking for the other members of the Worst Generation. Then we went to that auction, and Mugiwara no Luffy attacked that World Noble! We fought with them, and then…” Bepo broke off. “You kissed him! And then we fought a Warlord, and came back here and drank too much.”

Bepo rambled on about how hungover he was and how much he regretted letting Penguin talk him into playing that fucking game where you bounce the beri into the cup and if you don’t make it you have to drink, but Law wasn’t listening.

This… this was it. The end of the loop. Which meant…

_Luffy_. The Strawhat Captain had told him what befell his crew in the original timeline events. _He isn’t at Saobody anymore_. When would Law see him again…?

Law swallowed, suddenly overcome with loneliness. “Captain?” Bepo asked, and Law looked up to see him and others looking at him with worried eyes.

And suddenly, Law didn’t feel quite so lonely anymore. He leaned over and gave Bepo a little hug, and soon enough everyone’s smiles were plastered back on their faces. Law smiled too. He knew he’d see Luffy again. His love again. And this time, he was ready to accept that love.

* * *

Two weeks later, reporters were gathered at Saobody to watch the execution of Fire Fist Ace. It was a big to-do, and personally Law didn’t feel the need to watch the spectacle. Poor guy. Being made an example of for merely being a Whitebeard Pirate.

But his crew had wanted to see it, and they were still hanging around Saobody. Law knew he could leave, and it surprised him that he hadn’t yet. But it was like an invisible force was keeping him there, willing him to remember everything he’d been through. _With Luffy_.

And then, onscreen, as if his thoughts had conjured the younger captain out of thin air, a bouncy ball of chaos appeared in a yellow vest, falling from the sky and onto the battlefield. And Law’s heart stuttered. There he was.

He turned to go, and his crewmates followed. “Where we headed, Captain?” Bepo asked.

Law smiled. “Marineford.” _I’ll see you soon, Luffy_.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I just wrote all this in one day. I just love this ship. Sorry if there are typos; I kinda just tore through it, but I hope you enjoy. :)


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